Official FSU Tour

Walking Tour Tips: Jacksonville

Start your morning at the riverfront campus of Jacksonville University, site of the Alexander Brest Museum. After browsing the collections, head south on University Boulevard and east on Arlington Expressway to Kona Skatepark, where you can practice your sausage grinds or watch X-treme athletes riding the concrete wave. Even if you’ve just worked up a virtual sweat, you’ll want to cool off, so go east on Atlantic Boulevard, over the Hart Bridge, to Kids Kampus, a 10-acre recreational facility with a splash park. Next, head west on Gator Bowl Boulevard-Bay Street and follow the signs for Riverside to get to another riverfront landmark, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens.

After touring the museum and its grounds, head back on Riverside Avenue toward the Acosta Bridge and take the first exit, San Marco Boulevard. Two blocks north is the Museum of Science and History. Walk a block south to the Automated Skyway Express station and take a monorail across the river to the Jacksonville Landing, where you can shop and grab some lunch. Afterward, walk four blocks north to the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art.

Head back to the Landing to recross the river, but for the return trip, catch a water taxi. On the road again, go back over the Acosta Bridge and stay on Broad Street to 1st Street, where you’ll find the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. Next, proceed west on State Street to Interstate 95 North, then take the Heckscher Drive exit east to Zoo Road for the Jacksonville Zoo. Finally, head back to Interstate 95 North and exit east at Dunn Avenue, which becomes Busch Road, and visit the Anheuser-Busch Jacksonville Brewery.

Walking Tour Tips: St. Augustine

A good place to start is the Visitor Information and Preview Center: pick up maps, brochures, and information. It’s on San Marco Avenue between Castillo Drive and Orange Street. From there cross Orange Street to reach the City Gate, the entrance to the city’s restored area. Walk south on St. George Street to the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. Directly across from it is the Colonial Spanish Quarter.

Go out Fort Alley and cross San Marco Avenue to the impressive Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Now head west on Cuna Street and turn left on Cordova Street. Walk south three blocks to Valencia Street and turn right. At the end of the block is the splendid Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. Head one block south on Sevilla Street and turn left on King Street to find the Museum of Historic St. Augustine Government House and three more of Henry Flagler’s legacies: the Lightner Museum, Flagler College, and the Casa Monica Hotel. Continue two blocks east on King Street and turn right onto St. George Street to reach the Ximenez-Fatio House. Afterward, head a few blocks south down Aviles Street to St. Francis Street for a look at a microcosm of the city’s history, the Oldest House (not to be confused with the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse). Head back north to the Bridge of Lions, the Plaza de la Constitución, and the Basilica Cathedral of St. Augustine. You have to cross the Bridge of Lions to get to Anastasia Island and the historic St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, but it’s worth the effort.

Several attractions are beyond this walk, including two of particular historic note: the Mission of Nombre de Dios, north of the visitor center, is the site of America’s first Christian mass; and well north of the city’s cluster of sights is the Fountain of Youth National Archeological Park, marking the location of the famed spring. For recreation, also consider Vilano Beach, north of the city, as well as St. Augustine Beach and Anastasia State Park, both on Anastasia Island.